Rutgers Creates Gregory Q. Brown Endowed Chair in Cell Biology and Neuroscience
$1.5 million gift from Motorola Solutions Inc. honors 1982 Rutgers alumnus who chairs Rutgers Board of Governors
A $1.5 million gift has created the Gregory Q. Brown Chair in Cell Biology and Neuroscience in honor of the 1982 Rutgers alumnus, who chairs the university’s Board of Governors.
The board approved creation of the endowed chair today. The gift – approved by the board of directors of Motorola Solutions Inc. – recognizes Brown’s outstanding leadership at the company and his longstanding commitment to higher education. Brown is chair and CEO of Motorola Solutions.
The endowed chair’s focus on neuroscience is in honor of Brown’s mother, Winifred Brown, who died in 2012. The hope is that establishing the chair may help find cures for diseases such as dementia by recruiting, retaining and honoring outstanding scholars in neuroscience who serve on the faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences.
“I am deeply touched by this generous gift,” Brown said. “And I am extremely honored with Rutgers’ major commitment to pioneering research in cell biology and neuroscience.”
An anonymous donor has provided an additional $1.5 million as a matching gift. The donor has pledged to provide matching gifts to create 18 endowed chairs at Rutgers, according to a resolution approved by the Board of Governors.
“These gifts will help attract and support a world-class neuroscience researcher who can make a big difference in the world,” said Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor Richard Edwards. “We applaud donors who recognize the great value of creating endowed chairs to attract and retain the best research talent.”
Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers’ Livingston College in 1982. He became chair of the Board of Governors in July 2014 after serving as vice chair.
Brown, who joined Motorola in 2003, was elected to the company’s board of directors in 2007 and became CEO in 2008. Today he heads Motorola Solutions, the leading provider of mission critical communications to government and enterprise customers.
Brown gave the keynote speech at Rutgers’ 246th anniversary commencement in May 2012, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. In 2010, he was inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
Brown has contributed toward the new recruiting pavilion and welcome center at High Point Solutions Stadium, and supports the Rutgers Psychological Clinic at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
For more information, contact Science Communicator Todd B. Bates at tbates@ucm.rutgers.edu or 848-932-0550.